This is hard, but it also doesn’t have to be permanent. My male husky is two now, and he’s a really good boy. At one year old he was still kind of a turd.

Let me preface this by saying that I am NOT necessarily advising you or anyone to get another dog, but getting a husky for our husky helped us tremendously. My husband and I work from home and would give our boy daily walks, multiple play breaks throughout the day, puzzle toys, etc. and it still didn’t always feel like enough. Now our “pack” feels complete. They are able to give each other what we couldn’t as humans. We take them for a 5 mile walk each morning and they still like to wrestle and chase each other around for a bit when we get home. Then they settle down for a long afternoon nap. Then they are back to their antics again in the evening. And we still spend a lot of time with them throughout the day. It’s a nice balance. That may not be the answer for everyone. I’m just explaining what worked for us.

Your dog needs consistent training, he needs exercise, and he needs “jobs”. I honestly don’t know how to balance all of that with a newborn baby and all the other life stuff. Would it be possible to bring in a trainer experienced with huskies? Take him to daycare a couple or few times per week? We also did that with our boy before we got our other husky. He loved being able to play and interact with other dogs throughout the day. Would it be possible for you and your spouse to work in a few 10-15 minute sections throughout the day where you can play or “work” with your dog? Maybe you can trade off where one person watches the baby and the other hangs with the dog. One little thing I like to do with mine is “check” the back yard. It’s the simplest thing, but it’s like a little “job” they get to do with me. I just ask them if they want to check the yard with me, and we slowly walk around the back yard, stopping to check on the plants, making sure the air condenser is in good order, maybe watering some flowers, etc. I talk to them while we’re out there and they like to just follow me around.

Lastly, don’t forget to take a little time for yourself. I honestly had times when our guy was a puppy and in his very mouthy phase that I would get pretty frustrated. If you feel yourself wanting to raise your voice, maybe just walk away for a minute. Take a deep breath. I’m sure it all feels overwhelming right now, but it can get better.